PENDLETON — Despite a statewide closure in K-12 schools due to coronavirus, Blue Mountain Community College will stay open, albeit with some added precautions.

In a press release, BMCC announced it was pressing ahead with winter term finals and the upcoming spring term.

Starting Monday, the college will shift as many of its classes as possible to an online format. For winter term finals, instructors will have the discretion on whether to hold a final or not.

For classes that still require a physical presence from students, BMCC will encourage these classes to practice social distancing procedures.

In a statement, BMCC President Dennis Bailey-Fougnier echoed what other local institutions have said about COVID-19 by calling its actions “unprecedented.”

“The decision to move to virtual instruction was not made lightly,” he said. “The goal is to minimize the need to gather in large groups and spend prolonged time in close proximity with each other in spaces, such as classrooms, the library, and the student union. This action is consistent with the recommendations of leading health officials on how to limit the spread of COVID-19 and is also consistent with similar decisions made by a number of our peer institutions. The campus will remain open and operations will continue with appropriate measures to protect the health of the community.”

BMCC will retain this approach through the end of its spring term, but could make updates to its plan as it consults with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission.

On Friday, BMCC and the Northwest Athletic Conference also canceled all sports activities through April 13.